Watch-movement holder.



No. 738,543. PATENTED SEPT. 8, 1903.

G. JENKINS,

WATCH MOVEMENT HOLDER. urucummrnnn JAN. 1, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

j a j wmmI-Ilmlmm C/' UNITED STATES- Patented September 8, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. JENKINS, OF LEBANON, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- I'IALF TO FRANK B. KENDRICK AND WILLIAM F. DAVIS, TRADING AS KENDRIOK & DAVIS, OF LEBANON, NEW HAMPSHIRE, A FIRM.

WATCH-MOVEMENT HOLDER SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,543, dated September s, 1903.

Application filed January 7, 1903. Serial No- 1381100| (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. JENKINS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lebanon, in the county of Grafton and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Watch-Movement Holders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof. i

My invention relates to watch-movement holders, and more particularly to that class thereof employing a plurality of eccentric rotary jaws grouped upon a support so as by I5 their rotation to engage and hold a watchmovernent therebetween to facilitate the cleaning thereof or other repair-work.

The object of my'invent-ion is to provide a holder of this class wherein the movement of the jaws can be controlled in a manner to permit a convenient application of a movement thereto and wherein said jaws may be locked in any desired position to prevent an accidental release of the movement while work is-being done thereon and to permit said jaws being set in an open position preparatory to placing a movement therein, and thus leave both hands of the workman free to properly adjust the movement in relation thereto.

,A further object is to provide a holder wherein the constituent parts are so arranged as to be capable of speedy adjustment in assembling or dismemberment for purposes of cleaning or repairing and wherein thework:

ing parts are so inclosed as to be protected from clogging.

The invention consists in the novel features of construction hereinafter set forth and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a watch-movement holder embodying my invention, a Watch-movement being shown engaged by the jaws. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the holder shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof, one

jaw being removed and a portion of the capplate broken away to disclose the construction of said plate and the arrangement of the intermeshing gears therein; and Fig. 4c is an enlarged view of the controlling-lever and locking mechanism.

Like letters refer to like parts thoughout the several views; a

a indicates a pedestal having in the upper portion thereof a vertical bearing in which is journaled the hub c of the main actuatinggear 0. This hub c is provided with a peripheral recess, in which is seated a torsional 6o spring 0 the ends of which respectively are attached to said hub and seated in a recess in the pedestal a. This spring acts to normally rotate said gear independently of said pedestal in a manner to close the jaws hereinafter described. A cap-plate b, centrally recessed to form an upper bearing for and to inclose the gear a, is secured to the top of the pedestal ct. To admit of a speedy assembling of the device and when desired of the eXposure of the working parts to permit repairs or cleaning, this cap-plate is made removable, as by the use of the screws b b as a means of securing same to the pedestal. The cap-plate is provided with a plurality of recessed pro 7 5 jections disposed about the said. central recess at points equidistant from the axis of the gear 0, which form gear-casings b into which respectively the gear 0 projects. This structure constitutesasupport for a plurality of jaws which are actuated by the said gear 0. Each said jaw comprisesa pinion d, journaled in one of said gear-casings b and in mesh with the main gear 0. Permanently attached to said pinion is a disk e, which is so projected beyond said pinion as to completely close its casing to exclude dust, dirt, or other foreign substances from the gearing. Eccentrically mounted upon the disks 6 is a platform stud e of the usual or any desired constructi on adapted to sustain and engage the plates of a Watch-movement. The rotation of the studs 6, owing to their being arranged eccentrically of their supporting-disks, results in the opening or closing of the jaws in 90 a manner to accommodate the holder to movements of various sizes-21. mode of operation well known in this art.

The gear-wheel 0 being entirely contained within the pedestal a and cap-plate b, it is necessary to provide some convenient means for rotating said gear to actuate the jaws and to control their movements. The pedestal a has on one side thereof a laterally-extended guide-slot in which moves a radially-projected hand-leverf, attached to the hub c of the gear 0. This slot not only permits access to said hub, but limits the movement of said lever and through this the extent of rotation of said gear and of the movement of the jaws.

The working parts being actuated solely by the movement of the gear a to lock the jaws in any desired position within their limits of motion,itis merelynecessary to provide means for preventing movement of this gear. This I accomplish by providing the pedestal adjacent to the slot in which the leverf moves with a bearing-face a and the said lever with an opposed shoulder f adapted to be brought into frictional engagement with said face 0.. To bring these parts into operative contact, I make the connection between the said lever and the hub c by means of a screw-threaded portion f on said lever, which screws into a suitable screw-threaded opening in said hub.

' The various parts heretofore described are all provided with finished surfaces, and the pedestal a and handle of the leverf may be knurled, if desired, to aiford suitable gripping facilities thereon. The pedestal a and cap-plate b are preferably connected by a rabbet-joint to aid in centering these parts, and other structural precautions may be taken to more thoroughly exclude dirt from the working parts.

The operation of the heretofore-described device in so far as has not already been described is substantially as follows: When it is desired to place a watch-movement in the holder, the leverfis swung over toward the right, which movementimparts a rotary movement to the gear a and serves to open the jaws through the pinions din the well-known manner. The jaws being open, it is merely necessary to screw in the lever by means of the knurled handle and the threaded portion f until the shoulder jams against the face a. This sets the'jaws in the open position, and the workman is thus enabled to use both hands in fitting the watch-movement in said jaws. One or the other of the movementplates having been placed on one of the platforms of the studs 6', the pedestal may beduring this operation, and there is no possibility of the jaws so escaping from his control as to change this relation. When the jaws have properly engaged the movement, the shoulderf may be reset in relation to the bearing-face a by means of the screw-threaded portion of this lever, as before, to lock the various parts in that position, thus effectually preventing accident to the contained movement through accidental rotation of any one of the jaws while work is being done thereon.

The arrangement of the cap plate I) and disks e shield the gearing and prevents clogging of thesame.

It is not my intention to limit the invention to the precise construction herein shown and described, as it is apparent that there may be many deviations therefrom without departing from the spirit and scope ofmy invention.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is

1. In a watch-movement holder, the combination of a plurality of rotary jaws, a support therefor, a gear-wheel journaled in said support whereby said jaws are actuated, means whereby said gear-wheel is rotated, means whereby said rotary movement is limited and a locking member carried by said gear and adapted to be brought into frictional engagement with said support whereby said gearwheel may be set in any desired position.

2. In a watch-movement holder, the combination of a pedestal, a gear-wheel j ournaled therein, a cap-plate attached to said pedestal, a plurality of pinions in mesh with said gear- -wheel mounted on said cap-plate, jaws eccentrically mounted on said pinions, means whereby said gear-wheel is rotated and means whereby said rotary movement is limited.

3. In a watch-movement holder, the combination of a pedestal, a gear-wheel journaled therein, a removable cap-plate attached to said base having a central recess therein in closing said gear and a plurality of gear-casings disposed about said recess, a plurality of pinions in mesh with said gear wheel mounted respectively in said casings, a disk carried by each said pinion and projected therefrom to close said casings, jaws eccentrically mounted on said disks, means whereby said gear wheel is rotated and means whereby said rotary movement is limited.

4. In a watch-movement holder, the combination of a pedestal having a guide-slot therein, a gear-wheel j ournaled therein, a capplate attached to said pedestal, a plurality of pinions in mesh with said gear-wheel, mounted on said cap-plate, a plurality of jaws eccentrically mounted on said pinions, a radially-projected lever connected to said gearwheel and moving in said slot and a torsional spring acting on said gear.

5. In a watch-movement holder, the combination of a pedestal having a guide-slot therein, a gear-whee1j ournaled therein, a capplate attached to said pedestal, a plurality of sired position.

pinions in mesh with said gear mounted on said cap-plate, a plurality of jaws eccentrically mounted on said pinions, a radially-projected lever connected to said gear-wheel and moving in said slot, a torsional spring acting on said gear and means whereby said lever may be caused to frictionally engage said pedestal to look said gear-wheel in any de- 6. In a watch-movement holder, the com bination of a pedestal having a guide-slot therein and a bearing-face adjacent thereto, a gear-wheel journaled therein, a cap-plate attached to said pedestal, a plurality of pinions in mesh with said gear mounted on said 

